Summer: lobster chowder

Barbara's garden

Maine. I
need my summer fix. And lucky me, I have friends in nice places. Who invite me
to stay. I arrived after a long hot spell at home in Boston, but it was more of
the same. A thick and sultry afternoon. So I went straight down to the dock. At
low tide, it took a while to wade out far enough to dunk in the five-gasp
take-away-your-breath chill of Maine water. But it is obligatory. Important. Bracing.
Cleansing. Transforming.

I’m glad I did. Because even my wonderful, thoughtful hosts have no authority over fickle New England weather.

Same time next year, dear friends. And thank you.

On my way
home I stopped at the local lobster pound and picked up some cooked lobsters to
pack in my cooler. I made a promise to extend my trip and treat the folks back
home to lobster chowder.

My mother
always said the Fourth of July is the beginning of the end. Thanks for the cheery
thought, Mom. But now it really does seem that summer is going by too fast.

Sweet lobster meat, sweet corn,
potatoes, cream and smoky bacon are the classic foundations of any New England
chowder. For a truly exceptional soup, make the flavorful broth from the
lobster shells. Many fish markets sell cooked lobsters in the shell if you give
them about an hour’s notice. You won’t need to add much salt—there is plenty in
the briny shells.

Lobster chowder

Serves 6

3 cooked 1
1/2-pound lobsters, in the shells

1 large leek,
(white and green part separated), sliced

1 cup white
wine

9 cups
water

4 slices (6
ounces) thick-cut bacon, cut into small dice

2 stalks
celery, cut into small dice

Black
pepper to taste

3 russet
potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

3 ears of
corn, kernels removed from the cob

1 cup heavy cream

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Set a colander over a bowl. Hold the lobsters over the colander,
and using lobster crackers or a nutcracker and a small fork, remove the meat,
allowing the juices to dribble into the bowl. Cut the meat into bite-size
pieces and transfer to a bowl. Refrigerate.

2. In a large soup pot, combine the shells and bodies, their
accumulated juices, the sliced green part of the leek, the wine, and the water.
Over high heat, bring the liquid to a boil. Decrease the heat to a simmer, and
cook for 40 minutes. Strain the broth into a bowl. Discard the shells and leeks.

3. Rinse
and wipe out the pot. Add the bacon, and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 3
minutes, or until it renders its fat and begins to crisp. Add the white part of
the leek, the celery, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Add the
diced potatoes and lobster stock, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10
minutes, until potatoes are tender.

4. Add the
corn to the pot and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the lobster and cream, and simmer
for about 3 minutes more, or until the chowder is hot all the way through. Stir
in the lemon juice and parsley. Add more pepper and lemon juice if you like.

About Sally

Hello! I'm Sally, regular correspondent for the Boston Globe Food Section, cookbook author, food photographer, and former restaurant chef. Cooking Lessons is about (mostly) healthy recipes and tutorials to guide you through the shaky spots. It's not health food, it's just good food.